Pharmacist sold COVID-19 vaccination cards online, prosecutors allege

A pharmacist in Chicago was arrested after he allegedly sold dozens of authentic COVID-19 vaccine cards on eBay, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

Tangtang Zhao, 34, allegedly sold 125 authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine cards for about $10 per card. Zhao reportedly sold the cards to 11 different buyers.

“Knowingly selling COVID vaccination cards to unvaccinated individuals puts millions of Americans at risk of serious injury or death,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie Jr. said in the statement. “To put such a small price on the safety of our nation is not only an insult to those who are doing their part in the fight to stop COVID-19, but a federal crime with serious consequences.”

Zhao, who was a licensed pharmacist, obtained the cards at his workplace, which distributed and administered COVID-19 vaccines at its locations nationwide. As a result, he has been charged with 12 counts of government theft of property.